“No big whoop” and “yes” are attitudes of allowing, ones that free you to make mistakes, to be eccentric, to be imperfect and thus intriguing. This is what the use of specific detail in creative writing is about: capturing those unique traits that make something come alive on the page by distinguishing it from anything else of its kind, picking out one or two or more key features that tell something essential about a character or an interaction or an object.

Did you ever notice that some of your most prolific times, writing-wise, have occurred when your life has been highly unpredictable, when circumstances you’d depended on for a long time–whether related to health, friendship, money, love, sex–are called into question? I don’t think this is because you have to be unhappy in order to write well. You just have to be open. You have to let go.

Thanks for your message! We’ll be in touch soon.

Heliograph/ˈhiːlɪəʊˌɡrɑːf; -ˌɡræf/

helio (sun) + graph (writing): "sun writing"; a device that reflects light to communicate across distances; a metaphor for the concept of merging inspiration and technique to create clear, compelling communications